Over the course of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, the public sphere became an increasingly important component in the spread and development of Enlightenment ideas. Salons likewise served as important centers of philosophical discussion.

The eighteenth century marked the beginning of a new spirit of intellectual exchange in Europe known as the Enlightenment. Inspired by the Scientific Revolution’s spirit of critical thinking, the ideas of the Italian Renaissance, and the legacy of Muslim, Greek, and Indian scientific foundations, the Enlightenment centered on the role of…

public sphere — shared spaces that enabled the exchange of ideas and information outside the control of state and church, like coffeehouses and salons. salon — informal gathering in the homes of wealthy aristocrats, generally hosted by women, that served as a site for the discussion of Enlightenment ideas and philosophies. general will — a concept in political philosophy by which the state can be legitimate only if it is guided by the will of the people as a whole. the social contract — an implicit agreement among members of a society to surrender their natural rights to the state, which is then charged with maintaining and protecting those rights.